The Chateau, the Estate and a Castle
by Lunorius
Summary: What if the meeting between Kate Beckett and Richard Castle occured several years prior to current canon over the murders of some of Castle's closest friends? How would the story unfold?


Disclaimer: I do not own anything. This was just an idea I had and ran with it, so please dont hurt me.

* * *

The phone's shriek pierced the air, making the calmness of the night instantly vanish. Richard Castle rolled from the center of his comfortable position on the bed to the edge where the bane of his current predicament waited. For a moment, he was tempted to not answer the phone as his mind was too preoccupied with trying to reclaim the pleasant dream he had been having about the women whom he had asked to dinner last night. While his brain was trying to sort out that fact from fantasy in his head, the loud shrill next to him brought his attention back to reality. He picked it up before slowly easing his way up to a better sitting position.

"Hello?" he answered still groggily.

"Richard Castle?" came strict yet obvious feminie voice on the line.

"Speaking..." he ran a hand across his face to try and wake himself a little more.

"I apologize for the late night call but the situation warrants your immediate attention"

That sounded ominous. Even in his slightly delirious state of mind, he could still pay heed to the tone of someone's voice.

"What situation? Ms...?"

"Beckett, Detective Beckett, NYPD"

That really woke him up.

"Ok, you have my full attention Detective Beckett. What is going on?"

"How well did you know Mr. and Mrs. Weyland?"

Well, that was an unusual question. Why would she be asking about the Weyland's? He asked hiimself. The answer hit him like a ton bricks.

"Did something happen to them Detective?" he asked almost in a hurried panic.

"Can you please answer the question Mr. Castle?" again her voice was steady and professional. Obviously not what Castle wanted to hear at the moment. Something had happen to the Weyland's, some of his closest and true friends, something that in direct contrast to his status as a minor celebrity, was something that was far and few.

"If you answer mine, Ill answer yours Detective." he spoke in calm voice, or as calm as could be when his heart was threatening to beat right out of his chest. If a detective was calling him, then that was certainly NOT a social call, regardless of his previous track record with police.

He heard the Detective on the phone give a small quite sigh, imagining the woman had placed a hand to the bridge of her nose as some sort of indicator of fustration.

"Well then Mr. Castle" Detective Beckett answered in a now slightly reserved voice," how soon can you come down to the Precinct on 83rd and Grove?"

"Ill be there in 20 minutes."

After a quick confirmation by the Detective Beckett, Castle returned the phone back to its station and immediately began getting dressed. He could come up with several scenarios of why he had been called, but only the worst one was the one that would require him to come into the precinct. He hoped against all hope that it wasnt what he was thinking, but he knew something bad had occured.

He finished getting ready before leaving his room, grabbing his cell from the dresser and shoving it roughly into his pocket. Before exiting the loft, he made a quick trip to the upstairs room to check on his daughter, who had just turned 4 not more than 2 weeks ago. A spectualar borthday party that had included the James and Patricia Weyland and their twin daughters.

Castle paused mid stride up the second to last step of the stairs, his blood had run cold, and his heart had seemingly missed a beat or two. If something had happened to James and Patricia, then what had happened to Paige and Taylor? Both happened to be some of his own daughter's closest friends. He put the thought temporilay to the back of his mind as he skip the past the last steps to make it that much quicker up the stairs.

He pushed open his daughter's door and saw they tiny mesh of red hair poking out at the end from underneath the covers. He could never imagine leaving her, even if he had somehow died, he would could at least be reanimated or send his ghost to watch her. He scoffed at his own ideas. This was not the time to be think such things, not when something terrible may have happened. He silently closed the door to the room before quickly navigating to the only other house occupant.

He knocked on his Mother's temporary residence and opened the door, to where a one eyed opened Martha Rodgers was waking up.

"Richard, do you know what ungodly hour this is?..." she started.

"No time mother, I have to go down to the police precinct and I just wanted to let you know since I have no idea what time Ill be back"

The concern in his eyes brought Martha out of the rest of her sleep.

"Is everything OK dear?"

"I was called by a detective about the Weylands. I havent been told anything, but so far, all I can think of is the worst" his head was down as retold the previous phone call.

"Oh my, do you think...?"

"I hope not mother, I honestly hope not." was his slow and sad response.

As anticpating the real reason for his late night/early morning entrance to the room she moved over to give her son a hug.

"Ill take Alexis to school in the morning if neccesary, just keep me in the loop on the situation."

"Sure thing mother" he said solemnly.

At that, Castle took a moment to recomposed himself before turning around and heading for the front door. He would be in for a long day.

* * *

Please R&R. I have some idea of where to take this. I will probably take this down and fix some grammatical mistakes and iron out some kinks but for now I need to push it out there else Ill never do it. Thanks everyone.


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